The present invention relates generally to welding machines and, more particularly, to a welder or wire feeder having a single-knob control knob for inputting a single identifier of a welding process from which all operating parameters of the welding process can be automatically determined. The present invention is particularly applicable with welders having an integrated wire feeder.
MIG welding, formerly known as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), combines the techniques and advantages of TIG welding's inert gas shielding with a continuous, consumable wire electrode. An electrical arc is created between the continuous, consumable wire electrode and a workpiece. As such, the consumable wire functions as the electrode in the weld circuit as well as the source of filler metal. MIG welding is a relatively simple process that allows an operator to concentrate on arc control. MIG welding may be used to weld most commercial metals and alloys including steel, aluminum, and stainless steel. Moreover, the travel speed and the deposition rates in MIG welding may be much higher than those typically associated with either Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG) or Shielded Metal Arc Welding (stick) thereby making MIG welding a more efficient welding process. Additionally, by continuously feeding the consumable wire to the weld, electrode changing is minimized and as such, weld effects caused by interruptions in the welding process are reduced. The MIG welding process also produces very little or no slag, the arc and weld pool are clearly visible during welding, and post-weld clean-up is typically minimized. Another advantage of MIG welding is that it can be done in most positions which can be an asset for manufacturing and repair work where vertical or overhead welding may be required.
MIG systems generally have a wire feeder that is used to deliver consumable filler material to a weld. The wire feeder is typically connected to or integrated with a welder or a power source that powers the driver motor(s) of the wire feeder as will generate a voltage potential between the consumable filler material and the workpiece. The terms “welder” and power source” are interchangeable as both refer to a welding system component designed to condition power. This voltage potential is then exploited to create an arc between the filler material and the workpiece and melt the filler material and workpiece in a weld. Generally, control parameters are input by a user using a several knobs and switches on a control panel of the power source. Additionally, the wire feeder may also include a series of knobs and switches designed to identify parameters or operating conditions of the wire feeder. Other known wire feeders have been constructed such that control of the power source can be governed based on the inputs to the wire feeder. MIG systems have been developed wherein the wire feeder and welder are housed within a common enclosure. Such integrated systems are generally preferred by retail and infrequent users.
A variant of MIG welding is Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW). With FCAW, a consumable tubular electrode has its core filled with flux and alloying agents. The sheath, or solid metal portion of the electrode, typical accounts for 80 to 85% of the weight of the electrode. During FCAW, the cored, consumable electrode is continuously delivered to the weld from a spool or other feed supply. The welding arc and weld puddle is typically shielded from the surrounding atmosphere by a shielding gas, such as carbon dioxide. However, gas-less FCAW systems have been developed for open-arc welding by introducing fluxing materials that provide greater quantities of smoke for shielding purposes. This is advantageous in windy conditions where the shielding gas would normally be blown away. One exemplary gas-less FCAW system is the Handler® 125 integrated welder and wire feeder commercially available from Hobart Welders of Troy, Ohio, a subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works Inc. of Glenview, Ill. HANDLER is a registered trademark of Illinois Tool Works Inc. Flux-cored MIG welding is typically performed with a welder specifically configured for FCAW, such as the Handler® 125 commercially available from Hobart Welders; however, other welders have been developed that are capable of FCAW and other MIG welding processes, such as the Handler® 140 commercially available from Hobart Welders.
Flux-cored welding is often a preferred welding process when wire welding in an environment where a shielding gas cloud might be blown away. Flux-cored welding is also considered a relatively easy welding process and, as a result, is often preferred by infrequent, inexperienced, and retail users. Flux-cored welding is also applicable with a wide range of materials and wire diameters (wire thicknesses). High travel or deposition rates are also supported by FCAW which reduces weld time.
With MIG welding and its variants, such as FCAW, it is critical that a user properly identify the operating parameters of the welder (power source) and/or wire feeder. To achieve consistent and proper operation, a user must enter identifiers or parameters of a welding process that are consistent with one another. For example, an inexperienced user may input the value for a desired weld voltage that is inconsistent given the wire feed speed value also input by the user. That is, the voltage potential created between the driven consumable filler and the workpiece is inversely proportional to the speed or velocity by which the consumable filler is delivered. As such, as wire feed speed increases, weld voltage decreases. Therefore, the user may input values for weld voltage and wire feed speed that are incongruous. In other words, the power source may be unable to deliver a voltage at the level desired by the user given the speed the wire feeder is delivering filler material to the weld, and vice-versa.
Systems have been developed to simplify the prescription process of a welding session. Some of these systems use costly, heat generating, complex circuits and controls that pre-determine if the desired output parameters can be attained given the multiple user inputs and, if not, provide an error message on an LCD or other display to the user. While advantageous for the inexperienced or infrequent user, an error message may add to the complexity of the prescription process as the user may not know what changes are necessary to the inputs to reach the desired output. Other systems have attempted to solve this problem by reducing the number of control knobs, selectors, and the like; however, for inexperienced or infrequent users, simply reducing the number of controls can add to the complexity of the prescription process and may add to the confusion as the user must comprehend the interrelationship between the various settings commanded by user manipulation of the controls. Absent this understanding, the user may have difficulty in prescribing or carrying out a welding session.
Therefore, it would be desirous to have a welding-type component whose operation can be repeatedly and effectively defined in only a single user-input. In this regard, it would be desirable to have a system that reduces the complexity typically associated with defining a welding-type process. It would be further desirable to have an FCAW welder/wire feeder whereupon a single identification of weld material thickness is the only input necessary to establish operating parameters of the FCAW welder/wire feeder.